Health THE EXPE • I " 111 w RIENCE invites you to spend Passover 1999 at the SOUTHAMPTON PRINCESS BERMUDA 800 328* 6870 206 722 • 9000 206 725* 7062 Fax cstone@earthlink.net N There are may Ways to Pick DunwIT JEWISH NEWS Up the Now available @ these ANN F. • • • • • • • ARBOR locations: Borders Books Barnes & Noble Hillel House Mainstreet Books Michigan Union Bookstore Nicola's Books, A Little Professor Books Co. Zingerman's people aid Fir inforroat0' refe and access to setvices ults for older ad 1/15 1999 104 Detroit Jewish News "Another priority," he said, "will be to improve the structure of each depart- ment at the medical school — the vari- ous disease centers, the geriatric center, the research areas, etc., to make them more autonomous as 'centers of excel- lence.' We need to be more cohesive in our efforts to make sure our depart- Dr. Lichter's first position in the field was in 1976 as an instructor in oncology, radiology and radiological science at the Johns Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore, later becoming assistant professor. He moved in 1978 to the National Cancer Institute's National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., as head of the radiation therapy section. While at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), he was an early advo- cate of lumpectomy for treating breast. His work con- tributed to a revolu- tion in modern breast-cancer treat- ment standards, emphasizing preven- tion. He returned to U-M after six years Dr. Allen Lichter now bosses his brother Paul at U-M at NCI "because I was impressed by the great ments are running properly." renaissance taking place on campus. The rebuilding program at the universi- Previously, Dr. Lichter spent half his time heading the Radiation Oncology ty and the resurgence at the medical Th Department and half in his clinical school provided great opportunities." Dr. Lichter's department developed work. Now, his time to see patients and new three-dimensional X-ray imaging do "doctoring" in general will be cut to about 20 percent. technology, resulting in cross-sectional images that recreate the patient's anato- "A great deal of my attention will be my on a computer. This allows physi- devoted to my medical students," he said, praising the "extremely high cal- cians to direct radiation more precisely and reduce damage to healthy tissue. iber of today's students compared to The pioneering technology is now used my days in med school. They're much at cancer centers across the United smarter today, and I probably would have a tough time competing if I were States. Dr. Lichter is pleased by the great going through school now I'm also pleased to see much more diversity in increase in cancer awareness that has taken place nationwide in recent years. the current student body." "America now has more of a health Dr. Lichter sees no conflicts between agenda," he said, "with more people his religion and cutting-edge medical exhibiting a lifestyle of increased exer- issues. "In regard to organ transplants, cise, better dietary habits and a reduc- living wills and other ethical issues, tion in smoking. The keys are early there really are no conflicts with Jewish detection and extensive research, and law that I have observed in the medical the latter is very expensive, but we have field," he said. "I'll be busy with many to keep at it so we can win this war. other aspects of the job." He first became interested in radia- "There are about 550,000 cancer deaths annually, and as Vice President tion oncology while doing a rotation in Gore pointed out in a recent speech, that field as a U-M senior in 1971-72. we would have to build 10 Vietnam "After only one day, everything seemed Walls in Washington each year to list to click and I knew that was the med- - / the names of the victims." ical field for me," he said. Dr. Lichter is the author of 104 "At that time, it was an under-devel- peer-reviewed journal articles, 21 other oped, under-appreciated field that was articles, and 36 book chapters and pro- starting to get crowded by many physi- . ceedings, mainly on breast cancer. cians from abroad. I realized right away He is co-author of three books, • it had great potential as a specialty, and including a popular, 2,500-page text- it has been very fascinating and reward- book called Clinical Oncology. Fl ing for me."